UK Stocks-Factors to watch on Mon Nov 19

Source :

Last Updated: Mon, Nov 19, 2012 07:10 hrs

LONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening
up 45-48 points, or as much as 0.9 percent higher on Monday, according to
financial bookmakers. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please
click on

* Across the Atlantic, U.S. October existing home sales data is due at 1500
GMT.

* HSBC said it was in talks to sell its $9.3 billion stake in
China's Ping An Insurance, stepping up a programme by Europe's biggest
bank to shed non-core parts of its business to boost profitability.

* GLENCORE, XSTRATA Commodities trader Glencore is set to
all but clinch its $30 billion takeover of Xstrata this week, despite a
potential snub for the miner's board if, as expected, investors scrap a
controversial pay plan for its managers.

* BP BP plans to spend up to 3.7 billion pounds ($5.9 billion) buying
back its shares after agreeing last week to pay record criminal penalties over
the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Britain's Sunday Times said in an unsourced
report.

* OCADO The online grocer is in talks with its banks to avoid a
damaging breach of loan agreements at the end of this month, the Sunday Times
said.

* ROYAL DUTCH SHELL Royal Dutch Shell Chief Executive Peter Voser
has backed the UK government's "dash for gas". Voser said Shell saw gas as a
fuel for the future and planned to invest $20 billion in the sector between 2012
and 2015, the Sunday Telegraph said.

* CENTRICA The British utility Centrica is expected to turn its back
on building new nuclear power stations in Britain and instead focus on expansion
in the United States, the Mail on Sunday said.

* TESCO The retailer's management shake-up is continuing, with the
group's strategy director, Michael Fleming, the latest to leave his post after
only 18 months in the role, the Independent on Sunday, said.

* UK CORPORATE DIARY:

INTERTEK GROUP issues a trading update

MITIE GROUP reports first-half results

DIPLOMA reports full-year results

CLS HOLDINGS issues a trading update

CHESNARA issues a trading update

FFASTFILL reports first-half results

MAJESTIC WINE reports first-half results

TODAY'S UK PAPERS

> Financial Times

> Other business headlines
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